Post by Mizagium on Feb 28, 2014 0:53:27 GMT -5
Prelude
“I can’t believe I lost it,” Franz Zieger, presiding Ace of the New Organization XXI muttered for probably the fourth time that afternoon. His short blond hair stood out against the otherwise drab décor and dress. Attending him were his closest confidants, Miki Nahlani and Morgan, the King and Queen respectively. Miki didn’t seem to mind her rank, but mentioning Morgan’s rank of Queen tended to set him on edge. Mitzi Royce, the Jack, was currently out surveying the ongoing Fun Land gang war.
“Yes,” Miki Nahlani agreed, tensely. “I can’t believe it either.”
“What were you thinking?” Morgan folded his arms and leaned against the opposite wall. Franz and Miki were seated at the meeting table for the Face Cards. Franz lapsed into another spell of lifting his head slightly and letting it drop to the table with a gentle thud.
“I thought we might…I don’t know,” the Ace admitted, “barter for something more valuable?”
Miki set her glasses aside and massaged her temples. Little ringlets of her brunette hair wound themselves around her fingers. “What could possibly be more valuable than a piece of paper that lets us manipulate the world?”
“Hey,” Morgan broke in, “At least he tried to make it up, right?”
“With our Joker, Llenchi?”
“Er. Right.”
No one had seen or heard from Llenchi since sending him to Chill Land to recover another Scroll of Science that supposedly laid in some ruins. Turns out the Scroll existed, unlike Llenchi’s competence. As of the present, the position of Joker (officially the lowest rank) remained open and would likely continue to be for the foreseeable future.
“I don’t know what to do.” Franz deflated.
Miki struggled with her words. “Well…we haven’t lost yet.”
“Says you,” Morgan retorted. “Hold your optimism until Mitzi comes back.” Miki shot him a look, but he shrugged.
Then the door opened and Mitzi Royce entered, looking concerned. “Two things,” she said quickly. “One: we’re losing ground quickly. Two: Ephraim’s out there.”
Franz peeked out from his despair – er, his arms wrapped around his head. “The new guy?”
“Yeah. Says he has something that can help.”
Franz sat up straighter and looked from Miki to Morgan to Mitzi (suddenly aware that every Face Card aside from himself had an M name) who all shrugged. “Ok. Bring him in; we have pretty much nothing to lose.”
Ephraim was through the door almost before Mitzi opened it all the way. Something about that angular kid unsettled Franz, but he was pretty good with his Focus. “Ephraim,” he greeted curtly. “What do you have?”
Ephraim grinned. “Well, you see, when we first found that Scroll, I was quote curious about it. How did it…work? What were its limits? Unfortunately, we were all too caught up in fighting the gangs to take the time. Most of us, anyhow.”
Franz noticed he was suddenly very tense. Ephraim was als\ways far too comfortable with the rest of the Organization, particularly the leadership. He talked like a supervillain.
“So I…snipped a corner.”
Miki spoke first. “You did…what?”
“Ah. Turns out, the Scrolls are nothing more than mere paper. The power comes from the words written on them. There’s much to be learned about them, but that was one thing I am certain of. The scientific properties of the Scrolls prevent them from being harmed by magical means – and yet, otherwise mundane methods (aside from, I suspect, time) may damage them. And here’s the proof.” From his robes, he produced a square of parchment, approximately two inches by two inches. A few words were visibly glowing. “Some interesting notes,” he said as he handed it to Franz. “While the power of the Scrap is significantly diminished from the whole thing, it is still exceedingly powerful. The words on the page are not necessarily important: you can perform any and all Science acts you had with the full Scroll, but they will be less powerful.”
Ephraim was already leaving before any of them could say anything. “Use it wisely,” he sing-songed as pulled the door to behind him.
“Do we really have to keep him around?” Miki kept her eyes on the door.
“He did save a scrap of the Scroll,” Morgan shrugged.
“Which he took without telling us.”
“Do you have another Foci laying around, Miki? We aren’t exactly in a position to be picky without our Organization. Right, Franz? Franz?”
But the Ace of the New Organization was too enthralled by the mystical square of parchment resting on his desk. “Guys, do you know what this means? I know how to get us a new Scroll of Science!”
Neither Miki nor Morgan could resist a heavy sigh.
-
“I really don’t like this.”
From her position on the hilltop, all of Dynasty City spread out before her, a gleaming metropolis that literally appeared overnight not too long ago. Twenty other figures were just barely visible, making a loose rung around the magically protected city.
“Don’t worry,” Franz spoke through her earpiece. “We’ll do this quick. Once Aurora comes back to find her precious city frozen in time, she’ll have no choice but to hand over a Scroll.”
Miki massaged her temples but didn’t argue further.
“On my mark…” Miki summoned her Focus, feeling her twenty companions do the same. “Release!” Twenty one individuals all concentrated as hard as they could on the city, causing time to gradually slow in the localized area. It seemed like it wasn’t going to hold, but them she felt a surge of power within her that linked all the New Organization together. Franz had summoned the power of the Scroll of Science. Suddenly Dynasty City stopped. All the pedestrians and vehicles ceased movement.
Miki collapsed to the ground, almost not hearing Franz congratulate everyone. She wiped some blood from her nose and sucked in a hard breath.
“Holy fizz we did it.”
“Something isn’t right,” Ephraim said with finality. “Can’t you feel it?”
“What?” But she did, once she felt for it. “Oh.”
“There’s Foci in there.”
“Franz?” Miki asked urgently. “What are we going to do?”
“Uh. We’re not all going in at once. I want a scouting party of…Walwyn, Koa Luana…and Ephraim. Get in, find out who they are, and report back. Understood?”
Rather than speak over the com, Miki jumped to Franz. “I really don’t like this Franz.”
“Miki, you always – “
“Franz! Listen to me! I don’t trust Ephraim. I don’t like that he had a piece of a Scroll. I don’t like that we’ve taken a city temporally hostage. I don’t like that there are others like us down there. You don’t either. I know you don’t. So why are we here?”
“…We’re going through with the plan, Miki.”
“Well let me know when you know what that plan is.” And she jumped away.
Author's Note: The entirety of this story happens while Aurora and co. are away in space.
“I can’t believe I lost it,” Franz Zieger, presiding Ace of the New Organization XXI muttered for probably the fourth time that afternoon. His short blond hair stood out against the otherwise drab décor and dress. Attending him were his closest confidants, Miki Nahlani and Morgan, the King and Queen respectively. Miki didn’t seem to mind her rank, but mentioning Morgan’s rank of Queen tended to set him on edge. Mitzi Royce, the Jack, was currently out surveying the ongoing Fun Land gang war.
“Yes,” Miki Nahlani agreed, tensely. “I can’t believe it either.”
“What were you thinking?” Morgan folded his arms and leaned against the opposite wall. Franz and Miki were seated at the meeting table for the Face Cards. Franz lapsed into another spell of lifting his head slightly and letting it drop to the table with a gentle thud.
“I thought we might…I don’t know,” the Ace admitted, “barter for something more valuable?”
Miki set her glasses aside and massaged her temples. Little ringlets of her brunette hair wound themselves around her fingers. “What could possibly be more valuable than a piece of paper that lets us manipulate the world?”
“Hey,” Morgan broke in, “At least he tried to make it up, right?”
“With our Joker, Llenchi?”
“Er. Right.”
No one had seen or heard from Llenchi since sending him to Chill Land to recover another Scroll of Science that supposedly laid in some ruins. Turns out the Scroll existed, unlike Llenchi’s competence. As of the present, the position of Joker (officially the lowest rank) remained open and would likely continue to be for the foreseeable future.
“I don’t know what to do.” Franz deflated.
Miki struggled with her words. “Well…we haven’t lost yet.”
“Says you,” Morgan retorted. “Hold your optimism until Mitzi comes back.” Miki shot him a look, but he shrugged.
Then the door opened and Mitzi Royce entered, looking concerned. “Two things,” she said quickly. “One: we’re losing ground quickly. Two: Ephraim’s out there.”
Franz peeked out from his despair – er, his arms wrapped around his head. “The new guy?”
“Yeah. Says he has something that can help.”
Franz sat up straighter and looked from Miki to Morgan to Mitzi (suddenly aware that every Face Card aside from himself had an M name) who all shrugged. “Ok. Bring him in; we have pretty much nothing to lose.”
Ephraim was through the door almost before Mitzi opened it all the way. Something about that angular kid unsettled Franz, but he was pretty good with his Focus. “Ephraim,” he greeted curtly. “What do you have?”
Ephraim grinned. “Well, you see, when we first found that Scroll, I was quote curious about it. How did it…work? What were its limits? Unfortunately, we were all too caught up in fighting the gangs to take the time. Most of us, anyhow.”
Franz noticed he was suddenly very tense. Ephraim was als\ways far too comfortable with the rest of the Organization, particularly the leadership. He talked like a supervillain.
“So I…snipped a corner.”
Miki spoke first. “You did…what?”
“Ah. Turns out, the Scrolls are nothing more than mere paper. The power comes from the words written on them. There’s much to be learned about them, but that was one thing I am certain of. The scientific properties of the Scrolls prevent them from being harmed by magical means – and yet, otherwise mundane methods (aside from, I suspect, time) may damage them. And here’s the proof.” From his robes, he produced a square of parchment, approximately two inches by two inches. A few words were visibly glowing. “Some interesting notes,” he said as he handed it to Franz. “While the power of the Scrap is significantly diminished from the whole thing, it is still exceedingly powerful. The words on the page are not necessarily important: you can perform any and all Science acts you had with the full Scroll, but they will be less powerful.”
Ephraim was already leaving before any of them could say anything. “Use it wisely,” he sing-songed as pulled the door to behind him.
“Do we really have to keep him around?” Miki kept her eyes on the door.
“He did save a scrap of the Scroll,” Morgan shrugged.
“Which he took without telling us.”
“Do you have another Foci laying around, Miki? We aren’t exactly in a position to be picky without our Organization. Right, Franz? Franz?”
But the Ace of the New Organization was too enthralled by the mystical square of parchment resting on his desk. “Guys, do you know what this means? I know how to get us a new Scroll of Science!”
Neither Miki nor Morgan could resist a heavy sigh.
-
“I really don’t like this.”
From her position on the hilltop, all of Dynasty City spread out before her, a gleaming metropolis that literally appeared overnight not too long ago. Twenty other figures were just barely visible, making a loose rung around the magically protected city.
“Don’t worry,” Franz spoke through her earpiece. “We’ll do this quick. Once Aurora comes back to find her precious city frozen in time, she’ll have no choice but to hand over a Scroll.”
Miki massaged her temples but didn’t argue further.
“On my mark…” Miki summoned her Focus, feeling her twenty companions do the same. “Release!” Twenty one individuals all concentrated as hard as they could on the city, causing time to gradually slow in the localized area. It seemed like it wasn’t going to hold, but them she felt a surge of power within her that linked all the New Organization together. Franz had summoned the power of the Scroll of Science. Suddenly Dynasty City stopped. All the pedestrians and vehicles ceased movement.
Miki collapsed to the ground, almost not hearing Franz congratulate everyone. She wiped some blood from her nose and sucked in a hard breath.
“Holy fizz we did it.”
“Something isn’t right,” Ephraim said with finality. “Can’t you feel it?”
“What?” But she did, once she felt for it. “Oh.”
“There’s Foci in there.”
“Franz?” Miki asked urgently. “What are we going to do?”
“Uh. We’re not all going in at once. I want a scouting party of…Walwyn, Koa Luana…and Ephraim. Get in, find out who they are, and report back. Understood?”
Rather than speak over the com, Miki jumped to Franz. “I really don’t like this Franz.”
“Miki, you always – “
“Franz! Listen to me! I don’t trust Ephraim. I don’t like that he had a piece of a Scroll. I don’t like that we’ve taken a city temporally hostage. I don’t like that there are others like us down there. You don’t either. I know you don’t. So why are we here?”
“…We’re going through with the plan, Miki.”
“Well let me know when you know what that plan is.” And she jumped away.
Author's Note: The entirety of this story happens while Aurora and co. are away in space.